


Maybe Not Everything

by westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist



Category: The West Wing
Genre: Episode: s04e23 25, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2003-09-23
Updated: 2003-09-23
Packaged: 2019-05-15 13:23:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14791308
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist/pseuds/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist
Summary: J/D Post-Ep to25





	Maybe Not Everything

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

A Day at the Beach

**Maybe Not Everything**

**by:** Annmarie  


**Category/Pairing:** J/D Post-ep "25"  
**Rating:** TEEN Sexual Situations, Nothing Graphic  
**Spoilers:** Through 25 to be safe.  
**Disclaimer:** They are not now, nor have they ever been, my property.  
**Notes:** This started out as one thing and morphed into something else entirely. This is how I would have written the Season 5 premiere. Hope you like it.... 

Josh pulled the tee shirt on over his head as he made his way to the intercom. 

"Come on up," he announced without question. 

He went for his wallet, but didn't need it when he found CJ and Will at his door instead of the Chinese food guy. 

"I thought you were dinner," Josh laughed as he indicated his open wallet. 

"We are, if you want to drink it," Will grimaced as he held up a 12-pack of beer and a bottle of Scotch. 

"Anything new?" Josh asked as he took in the disheveled appearance of his otherwise put together coworkers. 

"Not in the 3 hours since we were dismissed by the "acting" President," CJ actually made quotation marks in the air for emphasis. 

"Joshua, was that the food?" Donna asked sleepily as he witnessed the eyes of his guests bug out. 

`Please don't be naked, please don't be naked,' Josh thought to himself before turning around. 

Donna had a similar bugged out look on her face, but she had managed to slip into a pair of panties and his wrinkled dress shirt. Wow she looked good in his shirt! 

"Apparently there is something new going on here," CJ said before busting out her best laugh. 

"CJ," Josh warned. 

"Relax Josh, the world as we know it practically came to a screeching halt today, this is nothing in the grand scheme of things," she opened the bottle of scotch and proceeded to take a swig. 

"CJ, you're drunk," Josh realized. 

"Yes in fact I am, and you are through in professional politics," she poked him in the chest for emphasis. 

Nobody noticed that Donna had slipped out of the room. 

"CJ, in case you haven't noticed none of us are working at the moment. You said it yourself, our world is over, even if Zoey is found, it's never going to be the same." 

"So you thought now was as good a time as any to screw your assistant," CJ slurred. 

"I'm just going to leave," Donna announced as she came out of Josh's bedroom with her clothes neat and her hair brushed. 

"Please don't," Josh implored her with a look that was weakening her resolve. 

"I really should," Donna tried to look every where but at him. 

"It's late," Josh reasoned. 

"Oh stay Donna, what the hell, we all knew it would be Josh that brought us down in the end, it's hardly your fault." 

"CJ," this from Will who was shocked at how quickly this had gotten ugly. 

"Will, you have no idea, these two have been a headache waiting to happen for years, years I tell you. It's sad really, in any other time and place I'd be routing for them, but Josh you know better than this," CJ leaned back against the closed door. 

"CJ you have not a clue what THIS is," Josh glared at her. 

The Chinese food delivery guy finally arrived, the buzzer slicing through the bitter silence in the apartment. 

"Yeah," Josh punched the button to let the guy up. 

"I think we should go," Will suggested. 

"I'll call you a cab. Will you make sure she gets home?" Josh indicated the drunken Press Secretary. 

"Sure," Will nodded suddenly much more sober than he was when he arrived. 

Josh paid for the food he no longer had any desire to eat and called a cab for Will and CJ. 

"You screwed everything up Joshua," CJ accused. 

"For once in my life CJ, I don't think I did," Josh shook his head at her retreating form. 

Donna was standing stock still in the apartment. She was so still Josh was afraid to speak for fear of frightening her. He wanted to touch her, to hold her close and kiss her softly, to tell her that everything was OK. 

Nothing was OK. Zoey was missing, the President wasn't the President at the moment and he had made love to her without a word about what it meant to him. He had imagined the moment they would finally succumb to their obvious mutual desire, but was it obvious to her, was his love for her as obvious to her as he felt it was to everyone else? 

He walked past her and put the bag of food on the counter in the kitchen. 

"I love you," he turned to find her across the room, with tears rimming her eyes. 

"Yeah?" he smiled. 

"Yeah. I wouldn't have risked what we have Josh. I never would have come here. I never would have slept with you just for sex. Hell I've been doing that with men I don't like for my whole adult life. I never had anything to lose before. I won't lose what we have," she looked up and the tears were still there, but behind them a defiance that he himself had lost earlier in the day. 

"CJ was out of line Donna, she was so wrong." 

"I know," she nodded. 

"Do you? Do you really know how much this means to me, how much you mean to me?" 

Donna nodded again. 

"Do you know how much I rely on you? How much I need you in my world? Not just at work, but every minute of the day?" 

Again she nodded. 

"Do you know how hard it has been for me to deny these feelings? How badly I've wanted to tell you? To touch you? How much I want you all the time?" 

She nodded and stepped closer. 

"How could you know all that?" he whispered. 

"It's been the same for me Josh," she chuckled before pulling him to her for a kiss. 

"I suppose it has," he realized as he held her close. 

Josh kissed her again and began walking her back toward the bedroom. 

*********** 

Donna woke up with a start, her breathing labored and her heart racing. 

"Oh God," she sighed as she remembered the events of the previous evening. 

"You okay?" Josh asked groggily as he reached for her. 

"Yeah, I just remembered Zoey," Donna sniffled. 

"I know," he leaned up enough to reach her and pull her back to his pillow. 

"It's so awful. Everything is so awful," she traced a finger down his cheek. 

"Maybe not everything?" he asked hopefully as he kissed her. 

She responded enthusiastically, rolling him onto his back and crawling on top of him, her mouth and her hands moving skillfully over his naked body. 

"Maybe not everything," he sighed as he kissed the top of her head. 

Suddenly she just stopped and looked up at him. 

"Let's go away, can we go somewhere not here?" she asked with worry lines creasing her forehead. 

"I don't know Donna, we need to wait this out. They could find Zoey today and it will all be over and we need to be there for the President, the real President," he emphasized. 

"I know," she sounded defeated and she proceeded to move away from him to her own side of the bed. 

"Let me call Leo a little later and see what's going on," he offered. 

"Thank you," she smiled, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. 

"Come here," he opened his arms to her, "go back to sleep Donnatella." 

********* 

It was nearly noon when Donna woke again, the bed empty beside her. She was afraid to leave the bedroom after last night's run-in with CJ so she sat there for a minute taking stock of her situation. 

That was where Josh found her a few minutes later. 

"You're awake?" he grinned and handed her a glass of water. 

"I can't believe I slept so long," Donna drank thirstily from the glass. 

"Well I almost had to wake you up, we have a flight to catch in about 5 hours," Josh looked at his watch and recalculated for its suckiness. 

"They re-opened the airports?" 

"At 4:00 PM, Leo got us on a flight." 

"They haven't found her?" 

"No," he shook his head as he sank to the side of the bed. 

"Leo said the President is a mess, even if they find her today he's going to need a few days. Leo said we should take off for a few days and regroup," Josh shrugged. 

"Did you tell him about this?" Donna indicated the bed. 

"I did, I had to Donna, if he thinks we tried to cover it up," Josh stood and started pacing. 

"It's OK. What did he say?" 

"He was fine, even glad. He had suspected my feelings for awhile so it wasn't a shock. He said we'd work it out." 

"Kay," Donna grinned, "So where are we going?" 

"I wasn't sure where you wanted to go and we couldn't go too far, like Hawaii for example, and since you were in here snoring," he smirked. 

"I don't snore," Donna threw a pillow at him. 

"No you don't, but I still didn't want to wake you," he returned to the side of the bed and brushed her hair back from her face. 

"So we're going...?" 

"To Florida," he answered. 

"To see your mom?" 

"Is that OK?" he winced. 

"It's great Josh," she smiled and took his hand. 

"I thought we could get some sun, some good food, some sleep. My mom is really good at taking care of people," Josh smiled. 

"I remember," Donna thought back to the dark days of Josh's recovery. 

"She loves you very much," Josh kissed her cheek. 

Donna just nodded, a significant lump forming in her throat. 

"You need to pack," Josh changed the subject. 

*********** 

Eleanor Lyman was waiting for them at the gate when they got off the plane. They looked even worse than she suspected, tired, drawn, scared, but she didn't miss the fact that they were holding hands. 

"Joshua," she shook her head as she wrapped her arms around her son, "I'm so sorry." 

"We all are Mom," Josh held his mom tight. 

"And you, my beautiful girl," she reached for Donna's hand and pulled her into a hug. 

Josh could hear Donna sigh and see her smile against his mother's shoulder, he knew he had made the right decision. 

"Let's get your bags," she dispensed with the emotion in the air port, they could talk about Zoey at home. 

"We could have rented a car Mom," Josh shouldered Donna's carry-on. 

"Don't be silly, you can use mine, or walk, you really should walk Josh, you're awfully pale," she pinched his cheek and he blushed. 

********** 

"I made up both guest rooms this morning after you called, but don't feel you have to use them both if you don't want to. That is all I will say about the sleeping arrangements, you're adults. I do intend to hear about the hand-holding in the airport though," Eleanor grinned as she showed them into one of the rooms. 

"Busted," Josh joked as he wheeled both suit cases into one guest room. 

"This is your vacation. I know the concept is foreign to you both, but there should be no stress. Feel free to come and go as you please. I made lasagna for dinner and it will keep as long as you want." 

"I'd really like to take a walk on the beach," Donna suggested. 

"It's right out back," Eleanor pointed out the big back windows. 

"Would you like some company?" Josh asked shyly. 

"I think I would." 

"Take your time, enjoy the evening." 

Josh and Donna changed their clothes and headed out to the beach. Eleanor watched out the sliding door as Josh took Donna's hand in his and entwined their fingers. She went to the living room when he reached for Donna and pulled her into an intense kiss. 

********** 

After salad, lasagna and wine the three retreated to the lanai for tea. 

"So...?" Eleanor began as she cut homemade brownies. 

"Which subject are you fishing for Mom?" Josh asked good-naturedly. 

"Is there anything new on Zoey?" 

"No," Josh frowned. 

"Then let's talk about you two," she smiled as she took her seat. 

Donna blushed and hid her grin behind her tea cup. 

"It's very new Mom," Josh answered. 

"Twenty-four hours new," Donna clarified. 

"The kissing is new, I'll grant you that, but this isn't new," Eleanor indicated them sitting on a small wicker love seat. 

"It's a lot of years of denial, Mom, but we're working through it," Josh put his tea down and wrapped an arm around Donna. 

The quiet Florida evening was interrupted by a shrill cell phone ring. Donna's eyes went wide and she wrapped a hand around Josh's forearm. 

"It's Leo," Josh announced. 

"Oh God," Donna sucked in a breath and closed her eyes. 

"Hello. Yeah. OK. When? What do you need? OK. Thanks." 

Josh's words were clipped and his face betrayed no emotion. Donna and Eleanor couldn't read the man they both new so well. 

"She's alive," he let out a harsh breath. 

"Oh thank god," Eleanor exclaimed as Donna threw herself in Josh's arms. 

"She's in Georgia, the Secret Service and the FBI have her and her captors. Leo doesn't have everything yet, but she is alive and apparently OK physically," Josh was amazed. 

"Do we have to go back?" Donna didn't seem too upset if they did. 

"Day after tomorrow, tomorrow is just for the family, we get back to work the next day," Josh smiled, his dimples making a fleeting appearance. 

"Forget this tea, let's have some more wine," Eleanor announced as she went to the kitchen. 

*********** 

"Hello Sir," Josh greeted President Bartlet for the first time since Zoey was returned. 

"Hello Josh," the man looked up solemnly. 

"Zoey looks good, she's doing well," Josh rocked back on his heels. 

"She said you two had a good talk, she didn't go into detail, but I assume you'll have something in common now." 

"I gave her a little advice on dealing with trauma, if that's what you mean?" 

The President nodded. 

"She's going to get past this. Are you?" 

"I don't know Josh, I really don't know." 

"We'll keep as much as we can off your desk for a few days. Donna is pulling all the files and Leo and I will staff everything out and supervise it." 

"Donna needs a new title, I mean besides fiance," Bartlet grinned for the first time. 

"I don't care what her title is as long as we can continue to work together," Josh smiled. 

"There's no accounting for Donna's masochistic tendencies when it comes to working for you Josh, but she couldn't have made a better choice in agreeing to marry you," Jed offered his hand. 

The two men shook hands and Josh exited the Oval Office. He had his head down and proceeded to walk right in to CJ. 

"Sorry CJ," Josh apologized and went on his way. 

Their relationship had been strained since the night in Josh's apartment and CJ finally had to say something. 

"Josh!" 

Josh stopped and turned around. 

"I'm sorry. Josh, I was wrong. You didn't screw up everything." 

"Maybe not everything this time CJ," Josh grinned and headed toward his office. 

The End 


End file.
